The scientists estimate with such a harvest the feral hog population will still double every five years. Even a high harvest — 41 percent of the population, annually — will allow the wild pig population to actually grow by 12 percent a year.

An annual harvest rate of 66 percent is required to hold the feral hog population in check, the scientists believe.

Now, in recognition of the problem, the federal government is stepping up the fight. In New Mexico, the U.S. Department is investing $1 million in federal funds on a yearlong pilot project aimed at eradicating the pigs and using what they learn here to keep them from gaining a foothold elsewhere, including Texas.

A small army of state and federal employees has been trained to stalk, trap and kill feral pigs, and techniques such as a Judas pig — which is fitted with a radio collar or microchip so it can be tracked as it looks for another group of pigs to hang out with after its family is killed.

Across the United States the wild pigs are responsible for an estimated $1.5 billion in damages each year and are considered to be very smart, learning from interactions with humans and not making the same mistakes twice.